Electric water-heater.



H. P. BALL. ELECTRIC WATER HEATER. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 17, 1911.1,034,952. Patented A g: 1912.

. a kw" fnventor- HenryPBa/l by 9; Whey l'lfhesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY PRICE BALL, OE PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, I'IENRY PRICE BALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric VVater-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric water heaters and has for its objectthe provision of a device of this character in which water or otherfluid may be brought up to the desired temperature and renderedavailable for instantaneous use in a simple and efficient manner.

My invention relates more specifically to electric water heaters of thestorage type in which a small quantity of heat is utilized for arelatively long time to gradually increase the temperature of a body ofwater. In devices of this character it is common to so arrange the partsthat a small amount of water is brought to a high temperature almostinstantaneously and may be drawn ofi' at any time, the arrangement beingsuch that a larger body of water is gradually heated from the smalleramount by circulation.

One of the objects of my invention is to improve this type of waterheater so as to make the same more efficient in operation and at thesame time more reliable and convenient. I

Other objects of my invention will appear in the course of the followingspecification in which I have shown my invention in concrete form forpurposes of illustration.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a sectional view of one embodimentof my invention.

From this drawing it will be seen that I have disclosed a water heaterwhich is used on a closed system; that is, one which is connected withthe water pressure, as, for instance, the city Water mains. The objectof the device is to gradually store up in a body of water the heatdeveloped in a relatively small heating unit. This is done by having aheating element of small Wattage connected to the circuit for a longtime, or, if desired, it may be continuously in circuit. This .will heatup a small quantity of water to a high temperature while at the sametime a large quantity of Water is being heated by circulation. The waterreceptacle in this case consists of a closed tank or receptacleSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 17, 1911.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

Serial No. 627,744.

10 cylindrical in form. This tank is provided with a heat insulatingcovering 11 for preventing, as much as possible, any radiation of heat.\Vithin this receptacle, and centrally thereof, I have provided asecond'casing 12 which forms an inner chamber communicating with themain body of the receptacle. This casing is also heat insulating incharacter. In this case, the casing is made to a large extentnon-conductive of heat by making the casing double with an air space 13between the inner and the outer portions of the casing. This casing issecured to the bottom of the receptacle and at its bottom portion issutficiently enlarged to receive the heating unit 14 and still leave aclear-space between the unit and the easing. The upper end of the casingis smaller and extends, as shown, to near the top of the receptacle. Thesupply pipe for this heater is connected with the main receptaclethrough the pipe 15 and also connected with the inner chamber 12 throughthe pipe 16. Between the pipe 15 and the pipe 16 there is a valve 17which is arranged so as to offer a small orifice or opening for thecirculation of Water. The discharge pipe 18 is arranged at the top ofthe heater and in'this case is directly over the mouth of the easing 13.

The operation of my device constructed as above described will be asfollows i Assuming that the tank 10 is filled with water, the Water inthe chamber 12 will be brought to a high temperature by the electricheating unit 14. The heat of this water is not radiated through the.casing 12 to any great extent but what does escape is conveyed to thewater in the main receptacle. This is one of the distinct advantages inthe particular arrangement of my heater. When the water in the innerchamber becomes heated it will circulate upward and into the mainchamber. At the bottom the circulation will be from the main receptaclethrough the pipe 15, then through the small orifice 17 and pipe 16 intothe inner chamber. There will be, therefore,.a slow gradual circulationthrough the valve 17. The result will be that the inner chamber willcontain hot water while the Water in the outer chamber will not be sowarm. When the discharge pipe 18 is opened to draw water, the hotterwater in the upper part of the tank is first drawn off, since the warmerwater will accumulate-at the top.

Of course, if the current is lefton long enough and no water drawn off,the water in the outer chamber will become substan tially as warm asthat in the inner cham her. As the water is drawn off through thedischarge pipe, the cold water comes in through the pipe 15 to take itsplace. The valve 17, of course, is slightly open, but the orifice issmall and the Water will take the path of least resistance, so that thecold water will run into the outer receptacle. \Vhcn no water is beingdrawn off, since the tank is full, no cold water will be taken in, butthe circulation will go on from the inner to the' outer chamber throughthe valve 17.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple and efficient form ofstorage heater in which the loss due to radiation is reduced to aminimum and in which a small wattage, used continuously, will heat alarge quantity ofwatcr, while at the same time there will be a smallquantity of hot water available at any time.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form and asoperating in a specific manner in accordance with the patent statutes,it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, sincevarious modifications thereof will suggest themselves to those skilledin the art Withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scopeof which is set forth in the annexed: claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,

1. An electric water heater comprising a closed receptacle for the Waterhaving a discharge pipe at the top, a heat insulated casing mounted onthe bottom of said receptacle forming a chamber having an opening intothe receptacle near the top thereof, a heating element in said casing, asupply pipe in the bottom of said receptacle, and a restricted passagebetween said supply pi e and the bottom of the chamber.

2. A water heater comprising a receptacle adapted to be filled withwater under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere, a

heat insulated chamber within said recep tacle extending almost to thetop of the same and communicating with the rest of the receptacle at thetop thereof, a heating unit located at the bottom of said chamber, adischarge passage leading from the top of said receptacle, a supplypassage leading to the bottom thereof and a supply passage leading fromthe said receptacle to the bottom of the aforesaid chamber.

3. A water heater comprising a receptacle adapted to be filled withwater under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere, a heatinsulated chamber of smaller horizontal cross section than saidreceptacle extending from the bottom of said receptacle almost to thetop thereof and communicating with the said receptacle near the topthereof, an ele trical heating unit located in the bottom of saidchamber, a discharge'pipe leading from the top of said receptacle, asupply pipe leading into the bottom thereof and a restricted passageleading from said receptacle to the bottom of the aforesaid chamber.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of May,1911.

HENRY PRICE BALL.

Witnesses E. R. WANDS, J. C. MUsoRovE.

